HealthThursday, November 5
Iowa has now confirmed 50 measles cases in 2026, and officials expect more
The Daily West Des Moines team
Measles keeps spreading in Iowa. The state health department confirmed 50 cases in 2026 on Wednesday, up from 42 a few days earlier. The first case came in July, and the state saw just nine in all of 2025. Officials say there's evidence of person-to-person spread and expect more cases, especially among people who aren't protected.
Iowa's measles count has climbed to 50 cases
Sources: WHO13.com, The Des Moines Register
View as table
| Value | |
|---|---|
| All of 2025 | 9 |
| End of Aug. 2026 | 17 |
| A few days ago | 42 |
| Nov. 4, 2026 | 50 |
If you were at Mitchell County Regional Health Center in Osage on Oct. 29 or 30, watch for symptoms for 21 days. If any show up, call your provider or the nearest ER first and mention the exposure before you arrive. Health officials call vaccination the best protection, so we suggest checking your MMR status.
Two possible exposure windows were at the Osage health center
| Date | Time | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 29 | 9:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Mitchell County Regional Health Center, Osage |
| Oct. 30 | 10:55 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. | Mitchell County Regional Health Center, Osage |
Sources: The Des Moines Register, KSOM, KIMT
- Symptoms: fever, cough, red or watery eyes, runny nose, rash
- Earlier count: 40 of 42 cases unvaccinated or status unknown
- Most cases: ages 5-19, and about two-thirds in southern Iowa
- Wisconsin: large outbreak of hundreds of cases in the southwest
Sources: WHO13.com, The Des Moines Register, KSOM, KIMT